Healthy Baked Sweet Potato Snacks for Swimmers

Swimming requires an athlete's diet.

As a swimmer, you need to nourish your body for athletic performance. According to Colorado State University, athletes gain the most from consuming carbohydrates. Sweet potatoes are a healthful source of carbohydrates and they help keep your heart, skin and hair healthy. A medium sweet potato offers 103 calories, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. Keeping sweet potato snacks on hand will ensure you grab a nourishing bite to eat even when you’re rushed.

Fries

Baked sweet potato fries are a healthful snack that can replace fatty fast food or frozen fries. Slicing the potatoes into 1-inch thick fries ensures they cook evenly and don’t burn. For flavor, you can toss the fries with chili powder, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper and other seasonings, but avoid salt and salted seasoning blends. High temperatures in the oven work best, as the exteriors of the fries will crisp and their insides will remain fluffy. They refrigerate and freeze well, so you can make them in advance and reheat them before or after swimming.

Chips

Sweet potatoes sliced thinly and placed in a food dehydrator turn into crispy, flavorful chips perfect for crunchy cravings. You can keep them in your locker or store them in an airtight container for transport. A mandolin is ideal for keeping the sweet potato slices uniform so they dehydrate evenly. Sprinkling them with lemon juice or tossing the slices with vinegar will create the most powerful flavor. Allow the chips to cool completely before placing them in a container. They’re best if you eat them within two to three weeks of making them.

Falafel

Mashed sweet potatoes blended with seasonings and rolled into balls makes a falafel-like snack that’s ideal for after an intense swim session. Keep the balls in your freezer and pop them in the oven directly before you plan to eat them. Baked falafel doesn’t keep well for more than 24 hours, though. If you’d like a dip, try plain, fat-free yogurt blended with balsamic vinegar. This creates a low-calorie, low-sodium dip with a touch of added protein. For extra crunch, you can roll the sweet potato balls in desiccated coconut or slivered almonds before baking them.

Taquitos

Pureed, cooked sweet potatoes rolled and baked in corn tortillas feels like an indulgent snack, but these taquitos will nourish your muscles and hold you over until your next meal. A single corn tortilla has 52 calories and 11 grams of carbohydrates, so be generous with the sweet potato filling to minimize the amount of tortillas you eat. These taquitos keep well in the freezer or refrigerator after baking and reheat in the microwave. Make a large batch so you have something to munch on before or after swim sessions.